I really have to learn to crochet

The new issue of Crochet Me is up and I really, really need to shake a tail feather and learn to crochet.

Stuff I like:
Galaxy top - a t-shirt transformed by crocheted motifs
Irish Oranges - a mesh shawl with lovely flowers and leaves. I think this would be great made in green with the flowers in different tonal colours.
Crystal Lace Bolero - so cool. I didn't know you could do ribbing in crochet!

Clapotis:

I've dropped the first couple of "ladders" and the ribbon yarn is doing exactly what I wanted it to do!

Showing the dropped stitches and the colour

Showing the progress (but shakey camera work!)

Click to enlarge as required.

I still can't get a really true colour representation, so I may resort to using my scanner for the colour, or fiddling with it in Paint Shop Pro.

SLLS:

Over two thirds of the way there!

And Finally:

Does anyone know where I can get some log (45 mm or longer), rustproof T-Pins? Preferably mail order in the UK, but I'm prepared to work for it!

Sorry for the brief, and eclectic, post - today hasn't been sparkling for me, but my cricket team just won a very close match, so I'm feeling a bit better!

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Technorati tags: yarn; knitting;

M is for

Malta!

EDIT: I've now made the photos "public" in Flickr, so if you were having any kind of problem with that, it should now be sorted! Carry on!

My maternal grandmother took me on my first foreign holiday (assuming you don't count Wales and Scotland as foreign to England!) in April of 2003 (you know, the same time as SARS and the Iraq War!)

So, where is Malta?

View clockwise from top left. Click on this picture to go to a page with links to the original print screens. The place I stayed is circled in red in the bottom left hand photo.

Malta Montage

Click on the photo to be taken to another view with links to the original photos, and some comments.

I also kept a travel log while I was there. A sample page is shown below:

Click for a VERY large view of the page!

I nearly strangled my grandmother after 6 days with her, and I won't even go into the non-appearance of my promised vegetarian meal on the flights, but all-in-all I had a nice (if exhausting) time.

FO: Princess Seam Blouse/Shirt

More photos can be found at my Flickr "Sew? I Knit!" page here.

Fabric: An unlabelled, mixed-fibre, blue and white striped shirting from my grannie. The warp (or is that the weft?) is a synthetic and the weft (warp?) is a natural fibre.
Pattern: From an old issue of "Essentials" magazine. Pattern number E177
Modifications: Well - I modified the front pieces to accomadate my "boobage", turned the 1 piece sleeve into a 2-piece so I could add width at the upper arm without altering the sleeve cap, I ended up using the attatched facing strip as extra frontage becuase it was still too tight on me without it! I cut a new facing crosswise on the fabric. I did the same at the back of the collar and collar stand.

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Technorati tags: sewing

It's not knitting: it's physiotherapy!

I decided that since my wrist didn't like me knitting on 2mm needles all the time, I'd better find something in a larger gauge. Hence Clapotis number 2:

Click-en to em-big-en

In my defence, I did work on Tubey for a bit, but it is mostly wool. And my hands sweat glow. So really, it's all for my health - isn't it?
I went for the purl-stitch-into-drop-stitch method I'd read about other people doing and it's working really well for me.
The yarn I'm using is Lousia Harding Sari Ribbon that I got from Get Knitted via Uknitty (for winning a competition she ran - still no blogging from her, I hope she's doing OK).

Sari Ribbon Yarn Montage

They are out of focus - it was part arty shots, part trying to get a good colour representation!

Winding the first three skeins went quite well, but the last one was a complete 'mare! It was already a bit tangled and the inner part of the skein was wound tighter than the outer part. And then I found a join. Well, not really a join more of a knot. Hence what follows; a tutorial for how to join ribbon yarn so that it is (virtually) invisible:

Click on any of the pictures to get a larger view.
What you'll need: a sewing needle, some pins, matching thread.

Overlap the two ends by about 1.5"/3 cm and pin them together

Using a running stitch, sew the ends together

The finished product

The join will be slightly thicker than the surrounding yarn, but it is hardly noticable and is the best way of joining ribbon yarn (in my humble opinion!)

Random Stuff:

0: 2Paw Cindy has an excellent tutorial for a sock bag to tote your project around in.
0: Harriet the 175 year old tortiose has died.
0: Andy Warhol's Wig sold for $ 10,800 (so that's where they got Halle Berry's hair from for the new X-Men movie!)
0: Wind farm 'hit eagle numbers' - literally!

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Technorati tags: yarn; knitting;

Gratitude

Thank you so much for all the kind and reassuring words you left in response to my last post. And even if you didn't comment, but just though nice things, thank you as well.
In the cold, hard, light of day, these things always seem silly, and yet at the time are utterly terrifying. My dad and brother had a nice (ish) time in Blackpool and my mum and I had a girly day listening to England lose at cricket (again) and fail to beat Sweden in football (again)!

Knitting (at last)

Nearly there (enlarge as needed)

I'm now 1 third of the way through the foot patterning on the second SLLS (Simply Lovely Lace Sock) - aided in part by what I call a semi-bed-day (part of the daytime spent in bed, watching telly!).

I also have the small matter of around 3000 words to produce by (at the very latest) the 14th of July.

Drowning in paper

Beam me up Sooty (sorry, 1990's British TV reference there!)

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Technorati tags: yarn; knitting;

I'm goin' on a roooooad trip: Cancelled!

EDIT: Well, I ended up going about a mile and a half. En familie we were going to see my paternal grandmother. We got as far as the slip way to get on to the motorway when my mum had a massive panic attack. My dad had to pull on to the hard shoulder becuase she was really bad. After about 15 minutes, we came home and I stayed with my mum, while my dad and younger brother went anyway. I'm exausted and my mum is very upset. She used to be so very independent (even up to a few years ago) but a series of panic attacks has left her timid and practically house-bound. It's very distressing for me because I feel so helpless. Sorry for unburdening myself in this public manner, but the old cliche of "A Problem Shared is a Problem Halved" might work even better if more than one person read this!

Well, kinda! I'll be away for the day tomorrow (or today, depending on when you're reading this) but I've finished both "Sugar Almond" and the Sew I Knit shirt/blouse. Proper pictures will follow. In the mean time:

Stuff:

0: A Flickr group with (all) the Knits From Knitty
0: My Cricket Team might actually win something this year (fingers, toes, legs and eyes crossed)
0: Hope for Giant Panda: apparently, there may be 3,000 pandas living in the wild in China. Yay!
0: I might have a snowball's chance in Spain of actually producing 2000 coherent words in my chosen subject before I leave for my residential school in the middle of July!
0: My "One Word" challenge is still on - come on people - you know me (mild swearing is allowed, as are hyphernations, or made-up words!)

Ta Ra!

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Technorati tags: yarn; knitting;

Lemming

Please leave a one-word comment that you think best describes me — it can only be one word long. Then copy and paste this into your blog so that I may leave a word about you.

Seen - everywhere!

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Technorati tags: meme;

A known issue

This is a technical "I know there's a problem and I'm working on it" type post. No crafting whatsoever. So, if you don't run Internet Explorer at a resolution of 800 by 600 on Windows, I'll see you next time! Bye, bye!

I know that the left sidebar disappears under the above configuration. I don't know why. If you are using Internet Evil, I'd encourage you to change to Firefox anyway (it's lovely) and possibly even Linux (maybe a stage too far, and hypocritical, because I'm running Windows!)

Essentially, I want the sidebars to be static and the main panel to be dynamic. I have no idea how to do this! If you do please, please check out my template (you'll know how) and then leave me a comment or email me and I'll love you forever.

Public Service announcement over!

Thank you!

What's wrong with me?

Don't answer that! Anyway, have you heard Paris Hilton's debut single? I like it.
WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME? I shouldn't like it. It's Paris Hilton, for heaven's sake. This is a woman who's entire career has revolved around her crotch. Blegh! I'm going to have to shower now.

Not-knitting:

I have been on the yarn (I'm not off the wagon by any means), but what little I have done isn't worth sharing.
Instead, I've been sewing.

Back of the Shirt so far

After much trying-on and adjusting, I realised that I hadn't adjusted the front pieces enough. Not one to be defeated, I've decided to use what should have been the buttonband facing as extra front. To make a style feature of it I cut new facings crosswise on the fabric as you can see:

The New Buttonband

How the buttonband will look with the collar attatched.

Random Stuff:

o: Awesome new free pattern for a panelled shawl over at Elann. There was/is some discussion on the Ample Knitter's list about up-sizing it to be more chunky-friendly. The general idea was to add more panels. I might try this - I've got a lovely silk/cotton yarn in my stash from Noro called "Lily", that would have a great drape and it would make a lovely trans-seasonal shawl.

o: Clarification from last post: I like football (soccer). No, I like good football. Besides, two words for you. Thierry. Henry. Hmmm....... {dribble, dribble} :cough: the ball, obviously!

o: Meat and Fish taste inherited. [insert your own lewd joke here]

And Because I was Bored:

You scored as Cultural Creative. Cultural Creatives are probably the newest group to enter this realm. You are a modern thinker who tends to shy away from organized religion but still feels as if there is something greater than ourselves. You are very spiritual, even if you are not religious. Life has a meaning outside of the rational. Cultural Creative 88% Existentialist 88% Postmodernist 75% Idealist 56% Modernist 50% Materialist 38% Romanticist 25% Fundamentalist 6% What is Your World View? (updated) created with QuizFarm.com

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Technorati tags: yarn; knitting;

Die Welt zu Gast bei Freunden

Yes, that's right - it's World Cup Time. World What? - say the North Americans.
In a vain attempt to escape any potential screaming (or crying) from the neighours, I'm out in the garden. I love wireless internet!

Here are some of the lovely things I'm enjoying, instead of the football or the French Open Tennis:

Clematis

Aqua Liga??


And a moth I found in the bathroom

Click on any of the pictures for a bigger view.

No knitting to report. It's hot with a capital scorcher and my hands sweat glow when it's like this.

Enjoy!

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The title is the official slogan for the World Cup. Translated, it means something like "A Time to make Friends".

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Technorati tags: garden

L is for

Lotus Blossom shawl in Lorna's Laces (Shepherd Sport, but let's not spoil the "L's"!):

L is also for "Long story, but worth it". The link to this was posted on the online conference for my university. It's the best description I've ever read of what it's like to have a chronic illness, and how you can explain it to "normal" people.

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Technorati tags: yarn; knitting;

My crutches and I went for a hobble

What's there?

Ohh - a frog in an ice cream tub!

Don't try this at home - I'm a professional (idiot)!

Bye, bye little frog.

Click on any/all of the pictures for a larger view.

Knitting?

I need the 2.5 mm needles currently residing in Sugar Almond, so I'm knitting as fast as I can.

Then the needles will be occupied with June/July's sock from the SixSox group, destined for my mum (at last, a pair of socks that will fit her).

Sewing!

I've cut out all the pattern pieces for the top for Sew? I Knit! but I I'm not able to sew for long periods of time because my knee seizes up if it's in one position for anything longer than about 10 minutes. I just wanted to show the modifications I have to make to one particular piece.

Before:

After:

Click on either picture to enlarge.

I think the "after" shot looks like a mummy with the amount of masking tape on it! That's what you have to do if you are "blessed" with big boobs!

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Technorati tags: yarn; knitting; sewing

K is for

Knitting!

Well, duh!

I couldn't decide what I wanted to do for this. My first idea was to take pictures of all my current projects, or all of my finished items. I could have snapped all the pre-blog and pre-website items. Instead, I went down the video route.

I knit what is called "Combination" or "Eastern Uncrossed". Before I learnt this technique I knit with the yarn in my right hand in a style commonly called "English" or "American". I used to hate purling. It would take me about twice as long to purl a row as to knit one.

As you will see from the videos, this is no longer a problem!

The movies are 30 seconds long and in MOV format (and AVI format) and this can be played in Quick Time, although most systems will already have this installed. There is no sound - just me in a very bright pink top and some yarn!

When you click on the links, you may be bombared with adverts and pop-ups. If you have a blocker installed, make sure it's turned on first! Sorry, but I can't find anywhere else to host them. The link for the videos is in the middle of the page.

My Knit Stitch. (7 MB)

Smaller sized video here in MPG format (2 MB)

My Purl Stitch (7 MB)

Smaller video here in MPG format (2 MB)

Sorry - not very dial-up friendly!

The smaller ones aren't working - but I am! I'll keep trying on making them more accessable. Just stay with me!

Oooookay! My wunderkind brother has done it! You may need some sort of magic jiggery-pokery thing found here if the videos don't play.

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Technorati tags: yarn; knitting;